Oakland University is closed Wednesday, February 10.

Extension center classes will not be held either because the university is closed or the school district in which the center resides has canceled classes.

According to the Administrative Policies and Procedures Web site, school closing policy is “remain open except under Extreme Conditions” in order to ensure uninterrupted service to students and the public.

“Closing the campus is disruptive in many ways,” OU spokesperson Ted Montgomery said. “Classes and campus events get cancelled, and usually need to be made up at some point later in the semester.”

Options during such conditions include cancellation of classes, emergency closing or early release of employees.

The decision is made by numerous people, including  Gary Russi, OU president, John Beaghan, vice president for finance and administration, along with Virinder Moudgil, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.

” Our facilities management folks work through the night and into the early morning hours to assess their ability to sufficiently clear all campus roads and parking lots in time for the arrival of students, faculty and staff,” Montgomery  said. “Our police department consults with other law enforcement agencies in the area to get a good handle on the condition of area highways and side streets.”

Following the evaluations, police chief Sam Lucido and the head of facilities management give a recommendation to Beaghan in conjunction with Oakland County weather bureau reports.

The provost and associate vice president for facilities management Terry Stollsteimer are authorized replacements for Russi and Beaghan, respectively.

The policy states that “department heads, managers, and supervisors are not authorized to make such decisions.”

“The decision is never taken lightly,” Montgomery said. “The safety of our students, faculty and staff is paramount.”

Elementary, middle, and high school closings are not normally taken into account, since secondary school districts have different criteria for closure and safety concerns – mainly bus transporation.

Students are urged not to call the OU Police Department dispatch regarding campus closure and should call the OU school closing hotline at 248-370-2000.